Jazz in the Garden

Stanley Clarke Trio Featuring Hiromi & Lenny White

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 12, 2009)
• Original Release Date: May 12, 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Heads Up
• ASIN: B001VFM0QU
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,945 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In a career that spans nearly four decades and includes gigs with Return to Forever, Rite of Strings and a variety of other solo and collaborative projects along the way, bassist Stanley Clarke - one of the most prominent voices in electric jazz and fusion - had seemingly covered every possible corner of the jazz landscape. But there was one avenue he had yet to explore.

"I had never done an acoustic bass record, ever," he says. "There's a long list of people on whose records I've played acoustic bass - Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Joe Henderson and many others - but I'd never done an acoustic jazz trio record of my own. So I wanted to record one that would just feature the piano and the acoustic bass in a way that you could really hear the bass."

This long-overdue dream project becomes a reality with the release of Jazz In The Garden. For his first straightahead acoustic jazz trio recording, Clarke assembles two brilliant collaborators at the top of their respective games: pianist Hiromi Uehara and drummer Lenny White. Each represents a distinctly different generational and cultural perspective, but given the range and versatility of both, the net effect is superb. Indeed, the synergy resulting from all three of these luminaries makes for one of the most refreshing Stanley Clarke recordings in recent years.

In many ways, Jazz in the Garden is Stanley Clarke's way of reconnecting with a time much earlier in his career before his plunge into electric jazz - a time when he earned his stripes playing acoustic bass with some of the most enduring names in the annals of jazz. "There are times when you want to revisit the things that really established the foundation in your life," he says. "I spent many, many years studying acoustic bass, and many years playing in New York after I left Philadelphia in the late `60s. I played with everyone who was there at the time. It was a long time ago, but all that stuff from that period is what made me who I am. This record is my way of reconnecting with that time and that music."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS GREAT ACOUSTICAL JAZZ TRIO IS A TRIUMVIRATE !!!, May 12, 2009

By	RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Five ACOUSTICAL Stars!! This CD captures a great jazz 'Triumvirate' bristling with freshness, inventiveness, and new musical horizons. Jazz bass colossus Stanley Clarke formed this trio with his old 'Return to Forever' (RTF) drum wizard stablemate Lenny White and the enormously gifted Japanese jazz keyboard artist Hiromi. Mr Clarke is on both acoustical upright double bass violin and acoustical bass guitar. Messrs Clarke and White are indelibly linked historically with splendid 'RTF' keyboard titan Chick Corea. Hiromi, influenced both by Chick Corea (see Duet (Chick Corea & Hiromi) and piano legend Ahmad Jamal, is a formidable pianist/synth artist who leads her own high-energy dynamic groups, such as 'Sonic Boom' as heard on Time Control. Despite the players individual electric/fusion roots, these performances are all acoustical (and Clarke 'ups the ante' playing shoulder-slung acoustical bass guitar on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under The Bridge"). The repertoire consists of jazz fusion, standards, bebop, funk, and Japanese fusion impressionism and everyone is in superb form.

The 'best of the best' begin with the incredible "Global Tweak" with Clarke and Hiromi getting off some prodigious solos amid their interactions, with White sitting out. The most successful performances begin with the very programmatic "Paradign Shift" and and the shimmering "Sakura Sakura". "Brain Training" is wonderfully complex and finds Hiromi swinging hard as Clarke and White push her along and solo in their own right. The beautiful "Sicilian Blue" has Clarke bowing in a rare beautiful demonstration of his superb acro abilities before Hiromi breaks free for a great but brief solo. "Someday My Prince Will Come" is a huge Clarke solo with ethereal backing. "Take the Coltrane" has Stanley and Lenny in a wonderful dialogue that is a 'wink back' to the legendary interaction of Trane's guys Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones. The attractive theme "3 Wrong Notes" has a great solo by Hiromi, showing the influences of Bud, Bird, and Bill pushed by Stanley's idiomatic walking ability. Joe Henderson's "Isotope" is hard-swinging trio joy and Hiromi's left hand, soloing at times, is amazing showing her true ambidextrous ability that puts her in a special class of keyboard wizardry. This is an outstanding trio performance that works on many levels: individually, collectively, and compositionally: wonderfully recorded with all players at a clear, high level on the CD soundscape. Kudos to all concerned. This CD is Highly Recommended. Five EMPATHETIC Stars!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jazz in the Garden, May 19, 2009

By	Matthew Miller "jazzplayer" (New York, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't think this lineup needs an introduction. Stanley and Lenny are fresh off the Return to Forever Reunion tour and they have paired up with one of the most talented young voices on piano, Hiromi. They have given themselves a nice range of material to work with: everything from standards in the jazz canon (someday my prince will come, isotope) to rock favorites (under the bridge).There is no need to say that they each perform excellently on each track.

The appeal of this band is undoubtedly the non-standard tact it brings to a trio outing like this. Stanley and Lenny are perhaps best known as pillars of the fusion supergroup Return to Forever and have each had extensive careers in that field. Hiromi has made a name for herself as an eclectic musician, bringing together interesting groups of musicians playing music in strange time signatures or with other similar quirks. Although this is an acoustic trio, they cant shake off the fusion. This leads to some really great reinterpretations of jazz standards. "Take the Coltrane" sounds normal enough at first, but it becomes immediately clear that Stanley dominates this version. Clarke has a unique way around the acoustic bass which allows him lead the song like a horn player or pianist might in any other combo. Similarly, the Joe Henderson tune "Isotope" starts off like any other, but is taken command of like few others. This time Hiromi also lends her hand at a spectacular solo.

there are also a handful of originals which are every bit as lively. My favorite is the album opener "Paradigm Shift (election day 2008)" which goes through two movements and provides what seems to me to be the most complete musical expression on the album. Also the Red Hot Chili Peppers song 'under the bridge' has truly spectacular Hiromi solo.

It isn't all good. First off, I dont know what that psuedo traditional Japanese sounding instrumentation at the beginning of 'Sakura Sakura' is supposed to do, especially since they do the rest of the song like a normal jazz tune, it sounds sort of out of place. I am also disappointed that Lenny white did not open up more on the drums. While he is an excellent background drummer, I felt often that he was sort of restrained behind the rest of the band. He had a few places to ope up, but not that much.

Ultimately, this was a real fun album. Not by any stretch the best any of these artists have done, but a really solid album that wont disappoint any fan.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice change of pace, July 10, 2009

By	JMan (Chicago, IL, USA) - See all my reviews

I have been a fan of Stanley Clarke and Lenny White for over 3 decades. This largely acoustic work including a wonderful pianist (Hiromi) provides a modern accent to the trio format. I would love to see them live. Clarke's work has become more pensive and his work on the upright bass is more melodic than his popular works on the electric bass. White's rhythms are more complimentary and subdued as compared with his work with Return to Forever. He is has clearly been a student of the "old school" and his work is flavorful without the need for crashing cymbals or the high volume used to play with amplified instruments. Very well done.